Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-05-28
MR.. GEORGE SAT- UPON.
HIS DOCTRINES CHARACTERIZED AS MOST
DANGEROUS.
Professor DwighfS Sweeping DenunciahOn Of Henry
George and His Land COH6SeatiOn Scheme
-hWOud Cause a Revolution
Of Our Civilization.

I
he sweepingly denounced the land doctrine
of Henry George and DR.. McGlynn, has
created genuine sensation.
1t was delivered during the commence
ment exercises of the Columbia College
Law School, and, as Warden, Professor
Dwight was addressing 123 graduates, not
/ to mention 4 vast audience that filled every
seat in the great ediiice. Behind him, in
| his official robes and mortar board, was
| President Barnard, of Columbia College.
His speech was received with terrific ap-
plause.
THE LAWYER" he said, sis to-day con-
| fronted by q most mOmentOus and start
| ling question raised seriously for the first
time in thousands of yearS-is there any
such thing as individual property, partic-
ularly property in land? All of our pre-
decessors have been relieved from the dis
cussion of this question since the days OF
| Abraham, who bought piece OF land TOR
la burial place in the presence OF the chill
dren of Heth, and IL was made sure unto
| him for possession. This means in our
modern phrase that he had it in fee simple.
From that day up to the present mo-
ment
! No ONE OF IMPORTANCE
has denied the right of private property in
| land. In particular no one until now has
propoSad to contiScate it after ii had been
acknowledged and Incorporated with the
most arduous labors and hallowed by the
most tender affections known to the
strength and the heart Of man.
"All this is left TO the philosophers OF
our day who have derived their capacity
to attack the right of property from the
! leisure and culture attainable by reason OF
its universal recognition. Without it
We would return to the nOmadic
condition when each man, clad
in his sheepSkin and leaning on his
staff, Shiycred rs he watched the stars by
night and lOnged for the coming Ol the
day. The men who low attack the right
of property in land may mean well, but
that is so much the worse. The better
their intentions the greater the mischief.
II il were known that they had bad In
tention good men would ut once forsaEe
them. We can now see how wise our fore
fathers were when they wrote over the lace
of their political constitution the sacred
and time hOnored phrase that private prop
erty shall not be taken even for public use
without lust compensation. This grandidea
they borrowed from Christianity and the
Christian Church as far back as thedays OF
Justinian. u cannot be withdrawn from
the United States Constitution without the
! consent of rec.fOurths of the States. II
can no more ne withdrawn indirectly than
directly, as for example by tax cunning
lv devised iof this purpose. No State can
| take an immoral p0SitlGn on such queS-
ton ~ this at this stage OF tine wGrld : CIV
iliZation.
''wITHOUr PROPERTY IL l.ANb
no man has an assured birthplace or burial
plnre. No tree can be planted that he can
call his oYu nor any dwelling erected that
can give hun suslSer There can he no
churches but State ,chuTCbea, nD colleges
or schools but State colleges and state
schools. When the State owns all the
land and all the Improvements, what a
tempting prize that will he for some bold
adventurer.
1
stand like q wall against the impending
deluge, and to insist ut all times and
AGAINST all cOmerS upon the sacred rights
of property. and to establish and faithfully
adm;aister such laws ,rs will assure tn the
u Inborinp man - well ~ to the rich share
of that gift of God which he gave To man,
not to hold by any casual and Wandering
title. but by that fixed law which society
establishes - most likely 10 develop the
individual man and Ia maSe the State
great and prosperous, at once the SyhOOi
and promoter OF civilized Justice.
Great fundamental facts will remain;
those who attack them will disappear
without leaving a trace. Great prncl'
pIss fixed ia the min,S OF men
never grow obsolete. They can
not be hurled from their place
nv anv man, no matter what may he IN,
ponularitY. In 4 few years all that Will
Sa left of the great agitatOr Of to-day Will
be 4 few lines in a biographical dictionary.
? No priest OF to-day will for moment rival
in New York the great SLvanarola OF Flor
rpcr. The great historic church when
seven centuries ago caused the naughty
phiIiD Augustus Of France, deSpot aS he
was. TO act>ncwoledge the SIcredness OF
: private property ia iaud will know how t'
-i de,l with lis forward children ~ the hour
1t Is "A lagrant abuse of language tn calI
rhr D.nding question political question
it Is a great moral aud sntiA ueS4l ION
n When ones house Is threatened with or,
it Is scarcely political question to devise
/ means to protect and save 1t.